I absolutely loved Paraguay.

This goes back to my concept of travel versus vacationing: I absolutely love a completely normal country.

A country that’s like, the Wisconsin of South America. That’s what I considered Paraguay; also, I am from Wisconsin.

Nothing people would fly around the world to see, like New York City or the Grand Canyon or Las Vegas.

But a super normal, beautiful part of the world, which probably gives you a more realistic view of the country anyway.

That’s what Paraguay was to me.

Kind, genuine people, people who looked out for us more than we were looking out for ourselves (Noemí left her cell phone in the seediest part of town and when we went back people had it there waiting for us.)

Long stretches of countryside and rugged grassy and dirt terrain, with farms and tan-colored cows and homes.

Malls and restaurants and bus terminals and Ubers.

And chipas. Many chipas.

This is a chipa: a circular bread-baked-dough ring that was slightly bitter and sold for like 50 cents all over the streets. And delicious, if you ask me. They come in different sizes and what’s great about bread is it’s pretty hard to get sick off bread so it’s my go-to when I’m traveling and not adjusted to the different areas’ foods and drinks.

What stood out about Paraguay to me:

• The kindness of the people
• The chipa
• Rural terrain
• Low prices
• Hospitality
• Still a developing nation Which I love. So many possibilities. So much change. So much processing of what is actually positive change and not positive change.
• Beautiful people One thing I love about travel is seeing the different kinds of looks of people all over the world. Each country produces it’s own look and flair of person. And Paraguayans are definitely beautiful. Not distinctly dark, not distinctly light, but that gorgeous middle-tone skin with a ton of variety and middle-range height…

This country isn’t pretending to be more than it is, and I love that. But this was such a genuine beautiful country to me. I would love to go back someday.